It was the depth of Killingly that enabled the Redmen to hold off Somers and win the Class S title for the second straight year.
“It was a total team effort,” Killingly coach Rich Bowen told the Norwich Bulletin. “We had one kid who hadn’t won a match all year and won for us today. Everyone contributed.”
Killingly beat Somers by 12 points, 186 to 174. But the lead was as low as nine in the finals where Somers had five finalists and Killingly had three.
The difference was the wrestlers that didn’t take home medals for finishing in the top six of their respective weight class. Somers and Killingly each had seven medalists and are sending six wrestlers to the State Open.
But the two Somers wrestlers that didn’t place went a combined 1-2 while the seven Killingly wrestlers didn’t failed to medal went a combined 14-14.
A young Killingly squad (10 juniors, five sophomores) had two wrestlers win state titles including Brandon Thuotte (125), who was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler after a 16-1 tech fall win over Rich Wood of St. Bernard in the final. It was his second straight Class S title.
Zachary Cooke (140) outlasted Gilbert’s Eric Parsons, 4-2 to win a title. Two days earlier, he was at home with the flu. Cooke had a 2-0 lead after one period and when Parsons couldn’t turn him in the third period, he let Cooke escape to try and get a takedown. Parsons cut the lead to one with a takedown with 14 seconds remaining. He let Cooke go again but couldn’t finish.
2008 State Championship Team
NICK HERRICK wrestling at 152 brings home the state championship with a dramatic 9-4 win in the final match of the day to seal the title for the Redmen. Connecticut Wrestling Online
UNCASVILLE, Conn., Feb. 16, 2008 – The 2008 Class S wrestling tournament was full of surprises.
Fourteen champions came from 11 schools. Derby was on its way to winning its first state title since 2002 but that fell apart when one of their wrestlers was disqualified in the consolation finals for committing a flagrant misconduct. Ten schools scored at least 100 points, the Berkshire League had five teams in the top 11.
In the end, the state championship was decided in the final match of the evening – the final at 152 pounds between No. 6 seed Nick Herrick of Killingly and No. 4 seed Dustin Wilcox of Montville in a winner-take-all match.
Killingly had just a 1½ point lead over Montville heading into the final match. The match was tied at 2-2 after one period and Herrick took a command 6-3 lead with a takedown with 24 seconds left in the second period. An escape and takedown in the third period secured a 9-4 victory and Killingly’s first Class S title and its second-ever state championship.
“The whole team had to do it,” Killingly coach Rich Bowen said. “It came down to Nick but we never put it on a single wrestler. We win or lose together as a team.”
The Killingly Wrestling Team carries Nick Herrick off the mat after his big win!!!!
The Champions
Killingly finished with 143½ points to Montville’s 137. Nonnewaug, with six medalists came in third with 131 points.
Montville had a 1½ point lead when the finals began. Killingly moved ahead after junior Brandon Thuotte edged Somers’ Troy Zachary at 119 pounds by a 4-3 score. Thuotte had a 4-0 lead with 50 seconds left and he held off Zachary’s late surge.
For the full story visit http://ctwrestling7.homestead.com/08ClassS.html
